At the Center for Biological Diversity, we believe that “the welfare of human beings is deeply linked to nature.” This is just as true in our workplace and work culture as it is for the rest of life on Earth. If we are to live up to our mission, to truly ground our work in this belief, then we must ensure that the welfare, voices, and values of our workers—those who spend every day working to protect life on Earth—are also centered in all that we do.

We are proud that the Center for Biological Diversity is uncompromising in its efforts toward progress and has aligned itself with our allies in the labor movement—endorsing the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act of 2021, and demonstrating our organization’s belief that every worker has the right to join a union, free from harassment, intimidation, or retaliation. We are also inspired by our friends in the environmental movement, including 350.org, Sunrise Movement and the Sierra Club, who have voluntarily recognized the right of their staff to unionize. These examples have brought us together to articulate our own vision for the Center—one where every employee is empowered, valued, heard, seen, respected, and safe, so that every one of us can continue to feel pride in the work we do and do it to the best of our abilities.

Already accustomed and committed to working collectively to create something better, we believe that realizing the full potential of our organization, and our organization’s values, depends upon exercising our own right to join together with our colleagues and unionize with the Communication Workers of America. The formation of a union is a positive force in the evolution of any workplace, and at the Center for Biological Diversity it is also critical to our ability to truly live up to the values articulated in the mission that has brought all of us to this organization.

As a union representing employees of different backgrounds, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, abilities, ages, and statuses, working across all programs of the organization—including administrators, organizers, attorneys, policy advocates, media specialists, campaigners, scientists, paralegals, and development and information technology staff—we urge the Center for Biological Diversity’s leadership to join forces with us in realizing our vision, collective strength, and workers’ rights by voluntarily recognizing our union organized around these initial goals:

●     Salary improvement, transparency, and equity

●     Realization of Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Intersectionality (JEDII) goals via an adequately empowered internal position and elevation of BIPOC staff to leadership positions

●     Established hiring practices that reflect and uplift JEDII goals

●     Formalized grievance and feedback policies and procedures

●     A participatory role for non-management staff in decision-making

●     Improved benefits that reflect best practices

●     Center-wide principles that guide collaboration with frontline, low-wealth, and/or BIPOC individuals, groups, and organizations

●     Job security and formalized predictability in disciplinary action

●     Career advancement with transparent and accessible pathways

●     Independent reviews of salaries, benefits, retention, and progress on JEDII goals

We believe these goals offer a starting point from which we all can live up to the Center for Biological Diversity’s mission and chart a path toward strong relationships between employees and management, thereby ensuring the needs of employees are continually met as the Center grows and evolves.

Organizing, negotiating, and advocating for change are inseparable from who we are as Center employees. The road to a green future necessitates fierce workers and strong labor movements, and the stability, security, and empowerment to resolutely do that work. As we at the Center fight the biggest environmental battles of our time, and unwaveringly in support of low-wealth and BIPOC communities, unionizing is an essential step to living up to our proclaimed values, and finding success in all that we strive for.

Signed: